Tecumseh forced to alter plans for wastewater plant upgrades

Objections from the state of Michigan have forced the city of Tecumseh to change planned upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant.

At its meeting Monday, the Tecumseh City Council rescinded the original plan and approved the revision requested by the state.

The original plan to replace four outdated blowers at the wastewater treatment plant with two new energy-efficient models had been approved March 18 by the council. Tetra Tech of Ann Arbor was approved to do the work.

However, city manager Kevin Welch said an April 17 letter from Kurt Swendson, project manager from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, rejected the option. Swendson wrote the proposal was not "cost-effective."

The city had two options, choosing the first. Option one called for replacing the four blowers with the two energy-efficient blowers. Option two called for the installation of only one new blower. The state rejected the first option.

"That would have left us with one new blower and if it goes down, we would have to operate with an older, inefficient one," Welch said. "This does not mean we won't replace the blowers. We will have to borrow the funds to install the second one."

Welch said the decision by the state does not impact the city's ability to replace both blowers, but it does limit access to loan funds to the cost of only one blower.

The city will install two new blowers to replace the four outdated ones, but will have to pay for one out of its own funds.

"The (MDEQ) will only assist with the costs associated with the responsive and responsible low bid," Swendson wrote. "Thus, if the option one bid price is higher than the option two bid price, the city of Tecumseh would be responsible for the difference in costs."

The low-interest loan from the Michigan Finance Authority would pay for 90 percent of the work, up to $38,900. Welch said the city will probably have to borrow to get the second blower. Tetra Tech will still do the work, he said. The city council unanimously rescinded the original plan and approved the revised plan on unanimous votes.